Visible index



July 19, 1955 e. H. LANDES 2,713,342

VISIBLE INDEX Filed NOV. 6, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fl.l f

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Application November s, 1952, fierial No. 31%,!351

14 iilaims. (Ci. 129-4) This invention relates to visible strip indexes made up of removable, interlocking strips. it is the object of the invention to provide improved interlocking means for the strips so that they can be easily and quickly interlocked to form a fiat, firm sheet of any width without backing of any kind, a sheet capable of being inserted in a typewriter, used in a duplicating machine, and bound in conventional loose-leaf ring binders. At the same time individual strips can be readily removed from, added to or inserted in any part of the sheet.

In attaining this object I provide one or more longitudinally disposed tongues or tabs extending from the upper and lower edges of each strip, the tabs on one edge pointing in a direction opposite to that in which the tabs on the other edge point, and designed to interlock with corresponding tabs on contiguous strips when the strips are assembled to form a sheet so as to prevent vertical disengagement in either direction and longitudinal disengagement in one direction, each tab underlying a part of the next adjacent strip. Additional means are provided for preventing any longitudinal disengagement of the strips comprisiin a slotin one strip designed to be engaged by a part of the next adjacent strip. The interlocking elements are spaced from the left-hand end of each strip so that each strip can be provided with a hole for receiving a binder ring without interfering with the interlock.

in the accompanying drawings 1 have illustrated two embodiments of my invention. In these drawings,

Figure l is a plan view of a single strip of my index,

Figure 2 is a plan view of two of the strips of Figure l interlocked along contiguous edges,

Figure 3 is a plan view similar to Figure 1 showing a modified form of construction,

Figure 4 is a plan view similar to Figure 2 showing two strips of the form shown in Figure 3 interlocked, and

Figure 5 is a plan view of an open, loose leaf, ring binder showing the front and back of two sheets made up of interlocked index strips of Figures 1 and 2.

The strip 1, shown in Figure l, is cut from a sheet of paper, such as Bristol board or cardboard, or any other thin, flexible material suitable for the purpose and of ample dimensions. The upper edge 2 of the strip is provided near its left-hand end with a horizontally disposed tab 3 sloping upwardly from a point 4 toward the left-hand end of the strip, and a tab 5 pointing in the same direction as tab 3, but extending parallel to the upper edge 2 to the right-hand end of the strip. The lower edge 6 of the strip is provided near its left-hand end with a tab 7 corresponding to tab 3, but pointing toward the right-hand end of the strip and, like tab 5, extending parallel to the edge 6 but to the left-hand end of the strip. The lower edge 6 is also provided with a tab 8, corresponding to tab 5, but sloping downwardly from a point 9 and pointing toward the right-hand end of the strip, the point 9 being directly below the point 4. The inside curves of the ends of the tabs 3, 5, 7 and 8 are arcs of circles that join their respective edges 2 and 6 at points of tangency 10, 11, 12, and

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13 respectively, thereby forming narrow notches or slots, the point 12 being directly below the point 10, and the point 13 being directly below the point 11. The upper right-hand corner of the strip 1 is provided with a short vertical slot 14 and its lower right-hand corner with an inwardly extending tab 15 as wide as the slot 14 is long, the upper half of which is formed by slitting the strip 1 beyond the lower edge 6 to a point 16, which defines the base of the tab and is directly below the left-hand edge of slot 14. The left-hand end of the strip 1 is provided with a hole 17 designed to receive the ring of a conventional ring binder and so spaced from the adjacent tabs 3 and 7 as not to interfere with their function.

To interlock two of the strips, just described, as shown in Figure 2, proceed as follows: Assuming the upper of the two strips, designated as A, to be stationary, the lower one, designated as B, is brought below the upper one with the upper edge of strip B in contact with the lower edge of strip A but somewhat to the right with the tabs 3 and 5 of strip B underlying strip A, and tabs 7 and 8 of strip A underlying strip B. Strip 8 is then moved to the left until its points It 4 and 11 coincide with points 12, 9 and 13 respectively of strip A. Further movement tothe left is thus arrested. At this point the tab 15 of strip A is inserted through the slot 14 of strip B, the point 16 engaging the upper left-hand corner of slot 14, and a point 18 which is directly below the point 16, engaging the lower left-hand corner. The strips are thereupon completely interlocked. Or the strip B may be brought to the strip A at any angle, the tabs 3 and 7 first interlocked and then the tabs 5 and 8 and the tab 15. It will be noted that the tabs 5 and 8 are shorter than the tabs 3 and 7. This enables them to be slipped into place more easily. To disengage the two interlocked strips, the tab 15 is removed from the slot 14 and strip B moved to the right. it is understood that the strips A and B discussed above are only two out of a dozen or so which go to make up a sheet, as shown in Figure 5.

When two strips are interlocked, as just described, there can be no lateral or horizontal movement with relation to each other. If an attempt is made to pull strip A to the right, and strip B to the left, movement is resisted at the points 10-12 and 11-13. If an attempt is made to pull strip A to the left and strip B to the right, movement is resisted by the tab 15 at the point 16. There can be no vertical movement of the strips with relation to each other. if an attempt is made to push strip A down and strip B up, movement is resisted at the points 19-12, 4-9, 1113, and 18. If an attempt is made to pull strip A up and strip B down, movement is resisted at points 1tl12, 11-13 and 16. The strips are held in the same plane with each other. if an attempt is made to hold thesurface of strip A in a horizontal position and to press strip B down so that its surface would be perpendicular to that of A, the movement will be resisted by the tabs 3, 7, 5, 8 and 15. If an attempt is made to hold the surface of strip A in a horizontal position and to press B up so that its surface will be perpendicular to that of A, movement will be resisted by tab 15.

Regardless of the size of the sheet there are enough points of liaison between contiguous strips to insure against disengagement of the strips either by horizontal or vertical movement, or by hinging. The wider the sheet required the longer the individual strips must be and consequently the greater number of liaison points between contiguous strips. As more of these points are needed more tabs can be provided, whereas if a narrower sheets required, only one pair of upper and lower tabs, such as 3 and 7, might sufi'ice when coupled with an end locking tab, such as 15.

The space between the upper and lower edges of the strips is made ample to carry the necessary data and must also bear a definite relationship to the binder ring spacing; that is to say the distance between rings must be a multiple of the strip width. It will be noted that the tabs do not subtract from the efiective width of the strip and that none of the strip proper is covered when in use.

The strips shown in Figures 3 and 4 are identical with those shown in Figures 1 and 2, except that the slot 14 and tab 15 have been replaced by two open slots 19 and so, extending inwardly from the top and bottom edges respectively of each strip, the right-hand edge of slot 20 being directly below the left-hand edge of slot 19 and the depth of each slot being half the width of adjacent tabs 5 and 8. When the strips are interlocked, as "shown in Figure 4, the slot 19 of the lower strip receives the material adjacent the bottom of the slot 20 of the upper strip and vice-versa, the two strips meeting at a point 21.

Figure 5 shows an opened ring binder in which several sheets made up of the interlocked strips of my invention have been mounted, the right-hand page showing the front of a sheet of assembled strips and the left-hand page the back. The material illustrated is being used as an index for phonograph records arranged alphabetically. The dimensions of the strips and the location of the holes 17 are such that the assembled sheet can be mounted in a standard ring binder. The sheet can be removed as a unit because the strips which form its elements are securely interlocked and cannot be accidentally disassembled. It is a relativelysimple matter, however, to remove one of the constituent strips from the top or the bottom or the middle of the sheet and substitute another. For instance, if the owner of this index should acquire a recording of Beethovens Fifth and wished to list it he would divide the sheet between Fiddlin Joe and Finale (from Bloomer Girl), insert the new strip bearing the proper designation of the Fifth Symphony (with apologies to Beethoven), and then re-rnount the sheet in the binder. As the sheet would then be one strip longer' than it was, either the top or bottom strip must be removed and added to the preceding or succeeding sheet, as the case may be.

'My index is designed primarily for use in ring binders, but obviously it can be used in any other type of binder and with or without backing. The index can be made in any size to fit any given binder and the'individual strips can be made as long' and as wide as may be required for any particular use. A sheet of interlocked strips can be used in a typewriter, or when a number of copies are needed in a duplicating machine. The strips can be cut from sensitized stock and used in any of the photo-copying devices.

- Because the index is as portable and as presentable as a book, it is particularly useful for keeping records that may be wanted by executives. The executive can have records from any department brought to his desk or to the conference room. He can keep key information in his owndesk drawer or take it with him to conferences outside the oifice. This portable feature makes the index equallyuseful for information that may be needed from time to time by a number of different people, or by field men who must carry up-to-date information with them. The uses for the index are as many as there are for any card index, and many of those to which the socalled visible systems are put, plus other uses for which none of the current systems is suitable. A few of the obvious uses are for: sales records, personnel records, mailing lists, inventory or parts lists, credit records, rate data, traflic schedules, production records, salesmens loose leaf catalogs and price books, salesmens prospect and customer lists, purchasing agents lists of supplies logs, phonograph record indexes, and any listing that requires changes or additions.

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The terms upper and lower and right and left as used in the appended claims are relative only.

I claim:

1. An index strip of thin, flexible material for connection in side-by-side, substantially planar relationship with like index strips having a longitudinally-disposed tab on one longitudinal edge pointing in one direction and a longitudinally-disposed tab on the other longitudinal edge pointing in the opposite direction, one side of each tab forming with an adjacent longitudinal side of the strip a narrow notch into which a portion of a like strip may extend when connecting the strips together in side-byside relationship, the inner ends of said notches being opposite one another transversely of the strip, said strip having means for cooperating with means on like strips for interlocking the strips together.

2. An index strip as defined in claim 1 in which the interlocking means are adjacent one end of the strip and the strip has a hole adjacent its other end for receiving a binder ring.

3. An index strip as defined in claim 1 in Which'the interlocking means is positioned adjacent one end of the strip and comprises a slot and means for entering a similar slot of a like strip when the strips are connected in sideby-side relationship.

4. An index strip as defined in claim 3 in which the slot extends transversely of the strip and the cooperating interlocking means is a longitudinally-extending tab.

5. A substantially planar sheet made up of index strips of claim 4 interlocked in side-by-side relationship, in which the interlocking tab of one strip engages the slot of an adjacent strip to hold the strips in interlocked side-byside relationship.

6. An index strip as defined in claim 1 in which'th interlocking means are slots extending inwardly from the opposite longitudinal edges of the strip and disposed op posite one another transversely of the strip. 7

7. A substantially planar sheet made up of index strips of claim 6 interlocked in side-by-side relationship, in which the slots engage one another to hold the strips in interlocked relationship.

8. An index strip of thin, flexible material for connection in side-by-side substantially planar relationship with like index strips having a plurality of longitudinallydisposed tabs on each longitudinal edge, the tabs being arranged in pairs at opposite edges with at least one pair of tabs at each side of a transverse center line, the tabs on each side of the strip pointing in the same direction and the tabs of each pair pointing in opposite directions, one side of each tab forming with an adjacent longitudinal side of the strip a narrow notch into which a portion of a like strip may extend when connecting strips together in side-by-side relationship, the inner ends of the notches formed between the respective pairs of tabs and the adjacent longitudinal edges of the strip being opposite one another transversely of the strip.

9. An index strip as defined in claim 8 which has means adjacent one end for cooperating with means on like strips for interlocking connected strips together and a hole adjacent the other end for receiving a binder ring.

.10. An index strip as defined in claim 8 in which one side of one of the tabs of one of said pairs of tabs slopes upwardly from a point along the upper edge of the strip and the tab of the other of said pair of tabs lies at the opposite edge of the strip and has one of its sides sloping downwardly from a point along said edge opposite the point on the upper edge from which the sloping side of the tab on the other edge extends. 7

11. A substantially planar sheet made up of index strips of claim 9 interlocked in side-by-side relationship,

in which the tabs of one strip underlie the next adjacent strip and the interlocking means of adjacent strips are in-.

terlocked with one another to hold the strips in side-by- .side relationship.

7 12. A substantially planar sheet made up of index strips of claim 10 interconnected in side-by-side relationship, in which the tabs of one sheet underlie the next adjacent strips.

13. A substantially planar sheet made up of index strips of claim 1 interlocked in side-by-side relationship, in which the tabs at each side of the strips underlie the next adjacent strip and the interlocking means of adjacent strips are interlocked with one another to hold the strips in side-by-side relationship.

14. A substantially planar sheet made up of index strips of claim 8 interconnected in side-by-side relationship, in which the tabs of one strip underlie the next adjacent strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Johnson May 13, 1913 Carroll Mar. 11, 1919 Russell Dec. 18, 1928 Moliard May 28, 1929 Hunt Oct. 29, 1929 Dawson June 3, 1930 Hutchings Oct. 23, 1934 France et al. June 24, 1941 Freiberg Nov. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain 1921 

